Last week I went camping for an entire week. This was the first time in over 10 years we’d been on a vacation that long. It was a week full of lounging on a raft on the river or a hammock by the fire. And what is a camping trip without a pile of books to plow through? I came equipped with a bag of books determined to get through as many as possible before the week was through.

Now this post was supposed to be “inspired” by the book. And to be quite honest there was nothing I could relate to in a story about a woman on death row facing execution and her victim’s mother who is trying to save her. I’ve never killed anyone, been on death row, visited someone on death row or had a last meal. So I’ve been stuck trying to write something inspired by this book.

Then it hit me. What inspired me about this book was that it was perfect summer reading. Everyone should have the pleasure of sitting beneath the sun on the water immersed into a nail biter of a book at least once a summer. It doesn’t have to be relatable or even inspiring, it just has to keep you reading. It is one of life’s greatest and simplest pleasures.

This thought was crossing my mind as I looked over the cover and thought about which one of my friends I would loan it to first, because even though I got it for free, it’s still perfect summer reading, which makes its priceless. Then I looked at the pile of library books on the table. Each one holding More perfect summer moments, and I smiled and thought of this quote.

“Don’t ever apologize to an author for buying something in paperback, or taking it out from a library (that’s what they’re there for. Use your library). Don’t apologize to this author for buying books second hand, or getting them from bookcrossing or borrowing a friend’s copy. What’s important to me is that people read the books and enjoy them, and that, at some point in there, the book was bought by someone. And that people who like things, tell other people. The most important thing is that people read… ” ― Neil Gaiman

What’s on your summer reading list?

This post was inspired by the novel The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver. Mere months before Noa’s execution, her victim’s mother changed her mind Noa’s sentence and vows to help stay the execution. Join From Left to Write on July 30 as we discuss The Execution of Noa P. Singleton.. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review